Evidence-based tendon rehabilitation protocols balance progressive loading that stimulates healing against the risk of reinjury in horses with superficial digital flexor tendon damage.
Tendon rehabilitation welfare requires sustained commitment to evidence-based protocols over timescales of 12-18 months - a period during which economic and competitive pressures frequently tempt owners and trainers to accelerate return to work. Re-injury rates demonstrate that premature return to work is a significant welfare risk: each re-injury extends the recovery period and may ultimately render the horse permanently unsound. The welfare investment in careful, monitored rehabilitation is therefore both ethically appropriate and practically sound. Ultrasound monitoring rather than time alone should guide progression, as healing rates vary significantly between individuals.